A Tottenham Hotspur manager’s lot is so rarely a happy one. In short order, Thomas Frank is running through the gamut of his predecessors, from hope to disappointment to what now resembles hopelessness. Demolition by Arsenal had already created a sticky wicket. A decent midweek showing in Paris, though another defeat, had barely increased the credit rating. Losing to Fulham, a team with a previous away record as miserable as Spurs’ home form, intensified the pressure. That Frank was appointed by the departed stewardship of Daniel Levy is to be noted; fresh ownership regimes tend to be trigger-happy with inherited managers.

Should such a decision be made, and it still seems a premature outcome considering Frank made slow starts at his previous clubs, Marco Silva, linked previously on a couple of occasions, would be a live contender. By six minutes in, Silva was cavorting on the sidelines with his Fulham staff. His team were 2-0 up and the home fans were baying for blood. By the final whistle, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium emptied, the mood was even lower, Frank’s outlook even bleaker.